


Eyes Half Closed

by MissHowdoyoudo



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Always good to try new things, Castiel is sorta the narrator but not really, Drowning, Gen, One Shot, Teen Dean Winchester, Teen Sam Winchester, The original characters aren't very important to the story, Trying a new writing style, don't think I did well lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22813237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissHowdoyoudo/pseuds/MissHowdoyoudo
Summary: Sam wakes up in a well with two terrified children. Castiel hopes that his decision is the right one.
Kudos: 14





	Eyes Half Closed

**Author's Note:**

> So, I know I have a WIP right now, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. I might add another one shot to it, idk. We'll see.  
> Legit don't know why I wrote this.

Sam was drowning.

_I wish it didn’t have to come to this. Sam is my friend. They’ve treated me with nothing but love and respect, even if I’ve done horrible things. They treated me like family._

The fifteen year old had found himself trapped in an abandoned and dried up well with two children, a boy and a girl, sometime during the night. He didn’t know how he got there or why. He _really_ didn’t like the implications of it all.

The last thing he remembered was curling up in bed after Dean had called him a girl, daydreams of leaving the hunting business behind and becoming something great, like a doctor or a lawyer. He was going to start applying to colleges.

_As an angel of the Lord, it’s important to follow plans given and keep the timeline correct. But, whenever have the Winchesters done anything except break the rules?_

The children were shaking, both from the cold and the fear that showed in their eyes. Sam sat up and rubbed his head, glancing around to get a good idea about what was going on. He came up blank. 

“My name is Sam,” he said softly. “What are your names?”

The little boy squared his shoulders and stood in front of the girl in a protective way. In return, the girl hunched her shoulders and hid behind the boy. Siblings, then? “Nathan,” the boy grunted, his dark hair ruffling in the wind.

“Maria . . .” the girl mumbled softly. She huddled closer into her pink jacket.

Sam gave them a smile, hoping that they could see it in the dim light from the moon and feel reassured that he wouldn’t hurt them. “It’s nice to meet you both. Do you know how you got here?”

Maria choked on a sob, and Nathan wrapped an arm around her. He shook his head. “Not really . . . I thought you might know.”

“I don’t, I’m sorry.”

_The girl and boy are destined to die in this well. In fact, me placing Sam inside with them probably won’t change their fate. Though, knowing Sam and Dean for as long as I have, I know if there’s a will, there’s a way._

“It was a monster,” Maria whimpered. 

Sam tensed. The wind howled above them, tendrils of air swooping around the well.

“A monster?” he asked.

Maria nodded fearfully. “A monster with claws and scary teeth and long arms and legs.”

A quick mental checklist ran across Sam’s mind, but nothing in his memories lined up right. Well, a lot of things did, but not _exactly_ , and it bothered him.

For once, his big brain that Dean was always teasing him about was drawing a blank, and it only heightened his anxiety. He couldn’t let it show, else the frightened children would become panicked.

Man, what he wouldn’t do to have Dean here with him. His big brother was never afraid.

_The wendigo that kidnapped the children had already eaten their parents. It stored them away in the well to eat them later. It won’t get the chance._

“There’s no such thing as monsters, Mari,” Nathan said. He held her tighter.

Droplets of rain pattered on the floor of the well, some splashing onto Sam’s cheeks.

“But I saw it!” the girl tugged on her messy brown hair.

“Hey, hey,” Sam gently reached out for them and placed a hand on each shoulder. “It’ll be okay. The monster isn’t here right now, is it?”

Maria shook her head.

Sam smiled. “Then we’ll be just fine. Now come on, let’s find a way out of here.”

_If the Sam and Dean from my time knew what I’m doing, they would most likely protest. Well, at least Dean would. Vehemently. Sam, however, might agree to this. He always did have a terrible self-esteem, even before he knew that he was a vessel for Lucifer. He would blame himself for everything that had ever gone wrong. It was never Sam’s fault. The world just hated someone as good as he was. He and his brother._

After a few minutes of finding nothing, Sam resorted to trying to climb the rocks to get out. The rain was coming down harder, making the rocks slick and causing puddles to form on the clay-like soil. Sam grit his teeth as he slid again and again, not making it higher than a few feet off the floor before sliding back to where he started, just with more scrapes and bruises to his pride.

The wind was deafening, now, and picking up loose things from the ground and chucking it into the well. Sticks, leaves, and grass ended up cluttering the floor before too long.

_I won’t intervene unless absolutely necessary. Unless Sam ends up drowning for real. Unless I need to save his life and admit that this was a terrible plan with little chance of success. I can’t give up hope just yet, though. Not just yet._

Another attempt failed and Sam decided to give it up and wait it out until morning came. His feet sloshed through the foot or two of rain water that had gathered while he was trying to climb as he made his way back to the children.

“Are you both alright?” he shouted to be heard over the wind and pounding rain. Lightning flashed and illuminated their features until they were once more plunged into darkness.

They nodded, but he could see the panic setting in. Nathan was trying to put on a brave face, most likely for his little sister, but Sam could see right through it. It probably didn’t help that his own fear was most likely peeking through as well.

“You’ll be okay!” Sam reassured. “I won’t let anything happen to you!”

He just hoped that the storm would pass soon. It was getting more and more violent, the water rising higher and higher. It would get to the point that the two children might have to start swimming soon, nevermind that hypothermia would set in quickly the longer their young bodies were submerged.

Lightning crashed again, closer this time and rattling the well. Sam held the children close as they screamed, his breaths coming out heavily.

_The hurricane tearing through won’t be enough to cause the town panic, but it will fill the well completely. Both with mud and water. It won’t even take more than an hour._

The storm picked up speed, if that were at all possible. They were all completely soaked, the water steadily rising up past Sam’s thighs and nearly to the children’s shoulders.

“Hold tight to me, okay?” He shouted, hefting them to his hip. He needed to keep them from being submerged for as long as possible. It seemed easy at first, but the longer they stayed out of the water and in his arms, the heavier they began to feel. He wasn’t as strong as Dad or Dean, but it helped that Nathan and Maria held their arms around his neck in a vice-like grip. He didn’t know how long he could keep them above the danger zone. Hell, the water was nearing the danger zone for _him_ , too.

Where was Dean? Dean would save the day. Dean always keeps Sam safe.

Sam shivered, the cold getting to him. He knew the kids weren’t faring any better. The rain was starting to feel like icicles slicing at their skin. Could rain actually do that?

The first rock that fell into the well with a large splash scared Sam witless. He glanced up through his sopping bangs to see the well’s integrity crumbling and the rocks tumbling inwards towards them. He scooted away from the middle and up against the wall like he was taught for landslides or avalanches. The same principle applied, right?

Just to be safe, He did his best to shield the children from anything else that might fall in.

 _As soon as the well began to cave in, I had to physically restrain myself from stepping in. I remind myself what this is for, why this has to happen. I can’t let my love for Sam get the better of me. I still bite my lip and clench my fists_.

A rock clipped Sam’s shoulder, causing him to stumble and grunt in pain. With how cold he was, though, the pain numbed quickly. He didn’t like that, but there wasn’t much he could do.

“You’re bleeding!” Maria yelped.

“I’m okay, sweetheart,” Sam said. “Can’t even feel it.” It wasn’t a lie.

Maria hid her face in Sam’s chest and gripped him tighter.

The water kept on rising.

 _This is for a reason. Do not interfere_.

From the decaying integrity of the well, pieces of earth fell alongside the rocks. The well really was determined to just completely fall apart. Cage them in. Drown them.

Ice ran through Sam’s viens, colder than the water surrounding his chest. They would not die down here. He wouldn’t let them.

 _I can’t interfere. I turn my back on the scene_.

Desperation clawed at his insides as the water passed his neck. “You keep holding on to me, okay?” he shouted to them. All he got was a nod before he let go of them and let them cling to his shoulders. He brought his hands to the rocks again. Maybe this time it would work? Now that they were practically underwater?

It didn’t. The rocks were just as slippery, but he couldn’t feel them either. His hands were so cold. Everything was too cold. His teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Sam growled in frustration. He needed to tread the water, now. Things were not looking good _at all_.

“You keep holding on,” he told the kids. “Don’t let go. I’ll keep us safe. Just keep holding on.”

The water was filling faster now that a good portion of the water had been displaced because of the soil and rock that fell into the well. The storm was only getting more and more violent. Sam didn’t know if any help would come. He doubted his family would even brave the storm to find him, wanting to wait until morning before going on a search. And they _would_ search. At least, he knew Dean would. Because his older brother wouldn’t ever leave Sam in danger like this. Sam knew it like he knew the back of his hand.

But, it was highly likely that Sam would be dead before Dean even went out in search for him. It would devastate his brother.

No, wait, think positive thoughts, he told himself. Hard to do when everything was trying its hardest to kill him.

_The rocks killed the little boy. One fell and cracked his skull. The girl died from hypothermia and drowning. The townspeople believed it to be a horrible accident, and that the parents abandoned the poor children. Possibly even did it to them. There was no evidence due to the storm. Already Sam is changing things._

It was getting harder to keep above the water. Sam was already so tired. So cold. He couldn’t feel his arms or legs anymore, but he knew when he stopped moving because his head dipped below the water. Nathan and Maria didn’t know it, but everytime Sam dipped below, they would push him down further to stay above the water. He didn’t tell them to do otherwise.

Sam breached the water again, coughing and spluttering on water. The children whimpered on his shoulders.

“Are you okay?” Maria asked, little hands gripping tighter. Sam hardly felt it.

“I’m . . . I’m o-okay.” Sam grinned. He went back under.

This time, however, he stayed under a little longer, letting his arms and legs relax. Just a small rest would be fine, right?

He must have rested for longer than he thought, because when he came back up for air, he already had water in his lungs. He breathed heavily through his mouth, attempting to get in air while also removing the water from his lungs with rattling coughs.

Nathan was the one to ask next. “Are, are you okay? You didn’t come u-up for a whi-while.”

Sam could only shake his head. He could hardly breathe, let alone speak.

So tired.

So cold.

He just wanted this to be over.

_I need to stay focused. Keep the bigger picture in mind. This is necessary. Please let this work._

The well was half full, now, and all three had stopped shivering a few moments ago. Maria looked like she was going to fall asleep, and Nathan was about ready to join her.

He wanted to tell them to stay awake. All he could do was keep them above the water, but even that wasn’t working too well.

He went under again. He couldn’t keep doing this. The children went with him, no longer able to hold themselves up.

Mud and dirty water filled his nose, his mouth. His lungs seized, demanding air and not getting it. He forced them up yet again.

Air.

He couldn’t get air!

Panicking, Sam coughed and wheezed, but the mud clogging his airways was thick and only allowing water into his lungs.

He was going to die. He was going to die because of mud in a well far away from his family and he was _going to drown_ \--

He bucked, ramming his back against the wall behind him to try to dislodge the mud in his throat. He gagged, no air left to cough.

_I turn back around. He’s in a very dangerous spot right now. If he can’t get the mud out, if he can’t get in any air, I have to step in._

Sam’s already numb limbs lost strength. Nathan and Maria closed their eyes. Black encroached on Sam’s vision, but he refused to give up. He wouldn’t die here. _He wouldn’t die here!_

He gagged again, a small wheeze entering through a tiny gap. He most likely inhaled mud.

That small amount of air was enough for him to cough more, dislodging more mud and allowing more air in. He could cry for joy at that small victory.

The black around his vision grew.

No.

He wouldn’t make it, even with this tiny success. He wasn’t going to make it.

So . . .

Tired . . .

_I watch with wide eyes as Sam sinks under, this time knowing that he would not be getting back out. I failed. I prepare to jump into the well to drag Sam out--_

“Sam!”

_Dean._

“Sam, where are you?” Dean’s voice carried over the storm, the teenager appearing through the hurricane like a godsend.

_Dean will be able to save Sam. I haven’t failed yet. He needs guidance, however._

Dean stopped and looked around in a fevered frenzy, out of his mind with worry over his baby brother. His baby brother, who had gone missing almost an hour ago. His baby brother, who was somewhere in the middle of this insane storm. “Sammy!”

_I direct his gaze, altering it just enough that he can see the well. Without saying a word, without making my presence known, I urge him towards it._

Dean headed for the well, his gut telling him that Sammy was there, Sammy was in the well. As soon as he looked down, he could see Sammy’s pale face, eyes closed and looking nearly peaceful if not for the muddy water surrounding him. Two children floated next to him, and Dean swore.

The older teen tore off his jacket and shoes and leaned over the side of the well to fish them out, the water just high enough for him to touch them. He strained, willing himself to be stronger, to have longer arms. Sammy needed him, dammit. 

One child was out, then the other. Last, Dean was able to drag his unconscious brother out of the well, cursing and trembling all the while.

Sam flopped next to the children once Dean set him down. He didn’t move.

Panic pumped through Dean’s veins. They were too cold. They weren’t breathing. _Sammy wasn’t breathing_.

Dean fumbled for his phone to call an ambulance while he began to administer CPR on his little brother. He would _not_ allow Sam to die on him.

_I relax. Everything would be fine now. Dean calls an ambulance and it arrives swiftly, the four children being swept away to be treated. Somehow, everything went okay. It worked._

_I only pray that they can forgive me one day._

The sound of flapping wings was drowned out by the raging storm.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
